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Marvel: 2012-04-08 - Kensington Comes About
Forty minutes ago, Hank and Scott were gathered by the blackbird in casual clothing. Scott had already approved the security system to let Laura down to the Blackbird level today to leave with them. They were waiting for her. Scott did tell her to wear casual clothes,that they were going to pick up a potential student that wasn't suspecting them. She was on the 'run'. The blackbird is prepped and ready to go. He sits in the pilot seat, thoughtful. It is only when Laura arrives that Scott smiles slightly. "Thanks for coming Laura. The girl has gone through some rough things, and we are hoping having someone near her own age will helpkeep her calm." The team then takes to the air in the blackbird. Scott looks much better than he previously dead, and health wise he is completely recovered even as per Dr. Hank McCoy. Though he has some circles under his eyes that his red glasses hide from his lack of sleep since his past ordeal. He moves a little slower than normal, but otherwise seems fine. When the blackbird arrives, it is in an abondoned field. The team leaves the plane behind and hikes to the road and a truck stop there. "The Professor said she should be arriving here, hitching a ride with a truck driver." Scott shakes his head, lips pressed into a thin line. The situation obviously bothers him. The truck stop appears on the shabby side, but it has a place to eat, a convience store, gas for large trucks and cars, and of course public restrooms. Laura is wearing a casual outfit as well, and probably more on 'perimeter' duty than anything else wtih the group. As the Blackbird goes in to land,s he alertly scans the area external to it. She's not seeing any signs of an ambush laying in wait - no giant robots, no signs of interdimensional portals or time travel, nothing out of the ordinary as far as her senses can pick up. The girl is otherwise remaining quiet, dressed in her normal getup if a bit warmer for the weather out here than truly necessary. As they land, she nods over at Scott, "Will she be hostile or can we expect any trouble?" The truck stop wasn't overly populated at the moment. A few vehicles here and there, a new rig pulling in. A cargo hauler with South Carolina plates that had seem better days by far, but looked well cared for, it had 'Argan Haulers' emblazened on the side. Hank didn't look like Hank. He looked like Dr. Henry McCoy, the face of the man Scott would have known before the accident and Laura had seen before. He looks at Scott, "This is quite concerning. Should we be worried about other tramua?" He says as they make their wayto the truck stop. He turns sniffing at the air and forgetting he looks human for the moment. Scott shakes his head, "We aren't sure what to expect. She's scared and alone, not particularly trusting anyone. She's also doing whatever she has to, to survive," this causing concern from Scott. "Let's just say if she stuck around in one place long enough, she would have already been arrested. I can't say for sure what we will respect, but automatically hostile? Not likely, but possible." He steps to the edge of the parking lot with his team and rubs the back of his neck. He glances over at Hank. Sure, trauma as in putting her boyfriend in ICU, but Scott doesn't say it outloud right now. "She's had a...difficult time Hank. Emotional trauma? Definately." Then again, he has it, especially after being kidnapped by Mr. Sinister and not being able to protect his little brother. "We have been informed she has no real control over her powers, so be careful. We suspect from the reports, it has something to do with electricity, but no idea on limitations or how they work at this point. She is seventeen years old, small for her age only about five feet tall, with eyes that seem to 'glimmer or shine' as her Mother put it. She has brown hair, it was long when last seen. Her name is Kensington. Let's spread out and search." There's a nod over from Laura, as if she caught the slant of Scott's own emotional trauma, transferred over to this girl over in a protective thought even though he hadn't met her and didn't know her at all. For the moment, she began to sniff. Visualizing over the girlnow as Scott described. She didn't nkow the girl's smell to track her, but a physique liket hat would probably be easy to locate. She pauses, and then glances at Scott, "I will check the cafeteria or where they serve food, and one of you can check the areas where they serve alcohol." Laura is hedging her bets that a runaway girl will be either after food or booze at this age, but also letting the 'legal' aged X-Men go and check where they serve alcohol so she won't have to make Scott feel the need to admonish her. Assuming her suggestion is approved, she will head in that direction to 'check'. Hank looks to Scott, "You check the Bar or the liquor store." He shrugs, "Though perhaps the convenience side of the truck stop instead of the truck stop. Leave Laura to the Ladies rooms and the dinners." He gestures the line of trucks, "I'll check the trucks. If she's looking to change rides it'll be there." WIth that he turns and starts to head towards the truck parking lot. Potentially the most dangerous spot on site. It where illegal things would happen. A shake of Scott's head. "The Professor said she would be here. Let's check the truck stop completely first, before we go spreading too far out. This place has a large parking lot. Laura, handle the place to eat, women's rest rooms, and convenience store. Hank and I wil l handle the parking lot. If we can't find her, then we will worry about elsewhere." He can't afford to miss her here, and the easiest way to disappear would be here and not a tiny country bar a little down the road. Scott starts moving to the other side of the parkinglot that Hank goes into, tos pread out the search. Laura nods over at Scott, and then at the order to split up quips from a movie she watched a few nights ago with her roommate, "Good, we can do more damage that way." On one hand, she's quoting movies, which is a gradual sign of her attemptuign to socialize more. On the other hand.. Probably not the most appropriate comment to state at the moment! The truk that had pulled in shut off, but no one stepped out. As the group began to discuss the search, there was the faintest of sounds. Soon, there was a flash, as if someone had kicked on a strobelight for a split second. A moment later there was a faint thump sound followed by silence again. Something was certainly afoot. If Hank's head twists in the direction of the sound and seeing light show." His proximity and heighten senses putting him there the quickest. He calls out, "Cyclops! This way, trouble!" With that the image inducer is off and gone is it the trappings of a civilized cultured man and all that remains is a Beast. The Beast runs on the ground like a gorilla towards the semi. He makes his way to the semi reaching up and up ripping the semi door off and tossing it another direction. A feral snarl on his lips. Scott taps his comlink, "Got you, saw the general direction of the flash." He starts running toward it. Laura's own comlink was programmed to pick up on the X-Men frequency for this mission. "Laura, back-up. Keep a look out for any sight seers too," but knowing Laura, she's already on the way before Scott's first comment of acknowledgement to Beast even came through. As he runs, he slips his visor out of a leather jacket pocket and slips them on, putting his glasses into a leather jacket pocket in their place. Laura is already heading in that direction on an intercept course,f ollowing more the stink of ozone than the flash of light, like someone set off a firecracker. Her claws are retracted, and she's going on a longer sweep, more of a flanking style. More to intercept anyone else rushing towards the scene than to directly engage herself. As the door was ripped open, the grim scene inside became aparent. There was a 50 something balding, sweaty, mouth breathing neanderthal of a man hunched over 'something'. He had one hand on what ever was under him, the other was working at his belt. "You do dat again whoooer an ill kil..." he began before the sound of the door coming off registered in his head. Turning for a moment caused his grip on his passenger to weaken, "Whut inna hell?" he cried out in shock, his shirt seemed singed, but he seemed ok enough The girl underneath him cried out for a moment as another 'light show' began to flicker, arcs of blue/purple energy sparked off of her, a slight 'breeze' before the girl reached for the drivers keys and slammed them into the passenger side door causing a massive boom and blowing the door a good 50 feet and sending all the fast food wrappers blowing about the parking lot. Hank blinks his eyes shut so he doesn't go blind from the attack. Then there's a feral Snarl as he grabs the truck driver and goes to drag him out of the truck. "I'm the Beast, maybe you've heard of me. I don't take kindly to people abusing people that can't protect themselves. THen he swings up to grab the room of the truck, "And away you go, My daring young sleaze on the flying trapeze." He then sends the truck driver flying towards the others. Scott doesn't need to know exactly what is going on, he has been a runaway himself at one time and as a hero and teacher has seen terrible things in the world. When the guy comes flying out of the truck, he waits till he lands before firing a blast near his hand. The blast is concentrated enough to put a hole in the blacktop, causing dust to spill out and cause some noise. "Stay down," he says in a hard tone. He stands 'at ready', a hand no long near his visor...he won't need it to take care of this guy even if he did give him a hardtime. "I suggest you start talking in an understandable manner," his voice controlled and steady, but no less hard than it was earlier. Laura is doing a long sweep of the rest of the area, intent on making sure no one else rushes forwards to try and intercept, and trusts Scott and Hank to take care of the girl while seh is over on perimeter duty. Her eyes are flashing and alert, and dangerous, but she doesn't have her claws out, and would prefer to not fight. There is a truck driver or two thinking to investigate, but the feral and alert appearance of Laura, has them not wanting to. One seems to be grumbling about calling the police as they retreat. The man blinked as he hit the deck. "Y...you f.." he said, shoving his hand into his jacket to reach for 'something'. "I'mma git you!" he grunted loudly. Meanwhile in the cab of the behicle, the frightened girl cried out again scrambeling for the new 'opening' she had created. She practically falls out of the cab, railing her forehead into the cement before trying to scramble in the direction of the woodline, skirt torn and left behind, her shirt and hoodie torn and partially hanging off her left shoulder from being stretchedout. Her boots clop noisily along the deck as she continues to run, the ocasional blue/purple 'wave' of energy fliting up into the air a few inches like waves breaking over the jetti. Hank pushes off the roof of the cab to pounce the truck driver. His hand moving to slam the truck drivers arm to the ground and pin it. "Don't make me hurt you. I would suggest giving up. You got enough explaining to the local Constables when the arrive. Adding attempted murder and unlawful discharge of a fire arm would only compound the trouble you're in. Also It's going to make me angry. To quote a contemporary, You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." Scott nods as Hank is handling it. "I'll leave the criminal to you Beast." He then turns to finish running toward the truck to find Kensington. He does at least call out, "Kensington?! Are you alright?" He hopes the girl will at least respond instinctively to her name.He trusts Laura to assure them privacy for now, but soon he will be switching places with her likely to deal with the police. The man cried out in pain as his arm was pinned "OI! Gerroff! It were deh whooers fault!" he began "She tried to rob me! First stole a ride, den mah wallet!" he called out "Truck motto..Gas grass or ass.." he said pausing to breath. Meanwhole Kenzie was makeing tracks across the lot, about haldway to the woodline before she suddenly heard her name. Turning her head a tad too hard, the girl took a tumble to the ground grunting in pain before getting on her hands and knees like an animal. Fear....the smell of fear poured off her like afountain, mixing with the stench of 6 months without a solid bath. "Go away!" she cried pushing her hands against the ground, forking tendrils of light began to boure their way through the deck moving towards the group, stoping about 15 feet shy of them before a small arc darted off her shoulder into the air before disipating, the moment she realised it wasnt going to work, she turned to begin running, not paying attention to the possible trafic or other lot related obsticals. Hank balls up his fist and punches the guy in the jaw knocking him out, "OH will you shut up. Like that old line gives you an excuse to have sex with a minor, yet alone rape one." He leaves the Truck drive knocked out on the pavement. He turns to look at Laura, "I concur with the wisdom of your assessment, X-23. Move to assist Cyclops in the pursuit of our quarry. I shall be back to assist momentarily. Oh and please leave your comlink where I can track it." with that Hank begins to move towards the Black bird. Not that Kenzie would get past Laura's patrols, that girl is quick. No, escape isn't an option for her. Scott does find her, though perhaps not first. He raises a hand and runs it through his hair, sighing when he sees the girl's condition. Ripped clothes, he wants to hurt the guy, and he can hear the jerk yelling all the way over here. He can't respond to Laura just yet. "Listen, deep breaths, alright?" His tone is kept low and controlled, but it is still firm. "We aren't your enemies. Though I doubt you need lectures about how bad stealing and catching rides from strangers are right now." Geez, Scott's dry jokes always fall flat! "But we aren't strangers...to catch a ride from, not steal from," just to clarify. "Your Mother sent us, Karen Young. She asked us to find you, and take you to safety. My name is Scott Summers." Kenzie had been running, hard as she could when she heard Scott's voice again. The gravity of the situation set in ahd she began to slow down, those blue tendrils rising from her like fireflies as she slowly dropped to her knees. She just stared at Scott, silent, as ifthe mention of her mothers name 'broke' something inside her. Soon, her face twisted a tad, and valleys carved them selves in the dirt on her face as she couldnt take it anymore. There was one final arc of energy, striking a close by tree and setting it alight before she just began to cry. Months of stress, and the nights events hitting her. Hank makes it to the Black bird in record time. The mutant making his way up the the ship. He looks at the Black bird with a smile of satisfaction. He starts bringing the blackbird online. Then he moves back to the medbay area and starts to prep things. His voice filling a comlink. "Cyclops. I am prepping the Blackbird for emergency rescue. I also prepping the emergency med bay. X-23 is moving in to assist you. Keep me advises and where you need me to assist." Scott's mouth presses into a thin line. He knows....he knows a lot of what Kenzie is going through, especially with his recent kidnapping eposide of...he doesn't want to think about it. But he isn't the one to comfort her, not really. He steps toward her and gets on one knee near her, "Hey," he says quietly. "It's alright now. Whatever nightmares you had before, you are going to survive, and it will be a brighter tomorrow. So easy there." He then nods toward Laura...wondering how she is handling the poor smell of Kenzie. And the truck driver wanted to...ugh, what a nasty jerk! A minor, a homeless one at that who badly needed a shower..., he then taps his comlink again, "Hank, just bring the medical kit, leave the blackbird there. I don't want the cops getting funny ideas about it. I want this...monster to pay for what he just did," his voice chilled. "I'll file the inital report, but Kensington can handle her full statement later." He then looks over to Laura, "I think she needs a girl, kid." Basically Scott is saying: Come save me Laura from weeping female! Scott then says to Kensington, "This is Laura. She's one of my students. She's about your age." Distraction technique! "And don't worry about anything. I'll handle it for now, and you can deal with it after you had some rest, and a full meal. Promise." He makes a 'cross my heart' motion if Kenzie notices. Laura comes over then as Scott gestured to her, doing a final sweep over of the perimeter and approaching then> Msot of her attention was externally in case they came under pursuit but she followed along after Scott like an attack dog. Kensington couldnt help but look at Scott, then Laura in turn, pausing only briefly as she clearly contemplated something. Fishing in her pocket as she sniffled she moved to stand, "I...f...f.fff" she said "He..." she rubbed her mouth before fishing a quarter out of her pocket, a cold, vengeful look in her eyes. "He...he's bad like me...." she said as her left arm began to become laced with thin blue tendrils of energy, moving slowly towards the coin between her thumb and knuckle. Griting her teeth, she took a step forward, whispering 'bye bye' through clenched teeth, staring at the fuek tank on the truck. Hank's getting the first aide kit. That's when the sensors in the blackbird go haywire. Hank stops going, "Aroo?" He makes his way over to the console. He presses a few buttons making sure everything's shielded. Then his voice comes back across the com to Scott, "Cyclops! Is everything still alright? I'm picking up a major energy spike in your area. I've engaged Magneto protocols for the Black Bird. Emp Shield active, along with electromagentic dampers for the sensors and controls. Please tell me, Magneto isn't there." "I'd hope he would stay on his island," Cyclops responds, but he does stand and move to step in front of Kensington. His expression is stern, and there isn't even a flicker of fear. "Stop there. The guy is passed out right now and cops will be here in a moment. He /will/ suffer for what he has done. Now, restrain your emotions, they are affecting your powers. You aren't bad unless you /choose/ to do bad things. If you continue to choose to do bad things, we can ask for a second set of handcuffs from the cops for you Kensington. Or, you can choose to be better. Not that you can't be vendictive in a way...I hear, jail isn't a good place to be. Causes you to lose your job, gets on your record, causes you to lose everything important to you, especially your freedom. Now, what will be your next move Kensington? Immediate satisifaction, or making sure this monster lives a life of hell?" Laura can't quite -sense- the power buildup (or approximate equivalent) that's going on over with Kensington, but she can pick up the girl's mouth going 'bye bye' and her eyes steel. The sparks earlier do not have an alternate explanation, which lends credence that they were probably from her. And the fuel tank of the truck nearby.. Laura bolts fowrards over, and then in a blur is inches away from Kensington, a steely, intimidating presence. Her claws not out, but her entire stance predatory, intimidating. Grinning almost half=-ferally, flashing those too-long incisors of her's, and she hisses, "Don't think about it." Not grabbing her, but if she evne -think-s the girl is about to shoot something afire, to go out and grab her neck –hard-. Kenzie's eyes go wide with the sudden reaction, a pause as if contemplating Scott's words as well. After a moment, her irises shimmer like a Lightening Sphere 'toy'. The tendrils around her arm roll down her body and into her boots before she just drops the coin. "He..." she said, "He was....g.g.g.g.ggoing to.." she continued. Shivering slightly before going silent and just standing there at a loss for words, a certain vacancy in her eyes. "Da tings he were gonna do da me..." she said softer now. At this point, Laura's eyes track the girl. Her heartbeat is going at the levels where with a normal human they would be nearing cardiac arrest. W hile Kensington does seem agitated and distressed, she does not appear about to drop to the ground in a seizure either. Her eyes flash, "Come with us now." She speaks to her communicator, "Doctor McCoy, her heart is racing at levels approaching cardiac arrest, but she seemst o have altered physiology as well. Suggest preparation of a sedative if necessary." The girl begins to chew her lip as she crouches down once more, covering her self with her hands and rocking slightly. The shimering in her eyes has faded almost entiry now, leaving only the faintest of soft glows. "W..wh...who are you people?" she asked curiously. "h..h.....h.h.hhow do y..y..you know mu m...m.mmother?" she said before her thumbnail again. The power down causes the sensors on the black bird to go to normal. Hank lets out a sigh of relief, "Alright Cyclops. Just sensors started detecting his powers or similar to his powers at a high level." The mutant turns and goes back to his first aid kit. "I understand X-23." WIth the kit prepped with the Sedatives. Then he moves to head toward the trio of mutants with the first aid kit. Laura has her hand still up on Kensington's shoulder, "We are here to help you. Now relax." It sounds mor elike an order, and probably isn't helping. But Laura's first priority is to prevent the situation from escalating. "Yes, he was. I'm not making light of that," Scott says. Scott moves to stop Laura's hand, knowing that Kensington isn't completely calm and would hurt her. Even if Laura can heal it, there isn't a need at this time. "But I want you to still live with yourself tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that and be able to look in the mirror and go: 'I was the victim, but I was stronger than that monster. I am not a monster, and I am a good person.'" Scott then frowns at Laura. She knows the heart rate for a cadic arrest? Thethings they teach you in assassin school. "She will calm down on her own," Scott says before looking back at Kenzie. Scott gets down on one knee again after hearing the sirens and seeing the Kenzie go down as well. "Listen, I'm going to handle the cops, and Dr. McCoy is going to tend to you. The cops will likely need a statement from you, but just keep it brief. You can talk to them more for your full statement later, after you get some sleep and food." When big, blue, and furry Hank arrives, Scott moves to stand. "We are from Xavier's Institute. Your Mother called us to tell us your situation. After you rest, you can call her. She loves you very much, and has been sick with worry." Scott then moves off to handle the police, giving Laura a look and a whisper, "Don't touch her or let Hank touch her till you are absolutely sure she has calmed down enough. I don't want either of you hurt." Hank shoes up with big Rubber gloves and a kit. He pull out a meter that looks like a medical tricorder form Star Trek the Next Generation. It even makes a beeping sound, "Damn Jim, Im a doctor not a electrical engineer. Actually I'm both, but your powers are disrupting my sensors." he turns it off, "Do you mind if we give you a sedative to relax you?" The girl whimpers slightly, but doesnt say anything, simply turning her head away to stare off into empty space. Laura's hackles almost raise, but she follows Scott's orders, and any disagreement she might have made in turn goes silent as seh just retracts her hands over from Kensington at Scott's command goes to stand down.